[1] The first major unexplained event was the disappearance of the French sailing ship Le Griffon and her crew in the 17th century.

Due to the lake's elongated shape and position, its shores are parallel and unimpeded, allowing the formation of dangerous currents including riptides and longshore tides.

Additionally, the north-south orientation coupled with regular wind patterns allow waves to reach great heights.

Ley lines, areas that intersect ancient structures and landmarks, are often cited as causes of energy vortexes.

"[8] Others believe the occurrences in the Lake Michigan Triangle are caused by aliens, pointing to UFO sightings as evidence.

[8] One of the earliest known incidents in the Lake Michigan Triangle was the disappearance of the sailing ship Le Griffon and her crew on September 18, 1679.

[9] Le Griffon docked at La Grand Baie (present day Green Bay), loaded 12,000 pounds (5,400 kg) of fur, and set sail for Lake Erie.

[11] On May 21, 1891, the schooners Thomas Hume and Rouse Simmons set off from the port after dropping a shipment of lumber in Chicago.

[12][13] Theories arose as to what happened to the Thomas Hume, the most widely accepted being that she sank from the same storm that caused the Rouse Simmons to retreat to Chicago.

[14] In 2006, an A and T Recovery employee discovered the sunken ship while searching for a lost United States Navy aircraft.

The Michigan Shipwreck Research Association concluded that the Thomas Hume had succumbed to a storm, stating that she was too intact to have been rammed into by another vessel.

On April 28, 1937 – Donner's 58th birthday – the ship picked up 9,800 tons of coal in Erie, Pennsylvania, and then traveled west through the lakes, bound for Port Washington, Wisconsin.

When they reached Lake Michigan, Donner retired to his cabin, instructing the crew to alert him once the ship neared her destination.

Three hours later, when the vessel neared Port Washington, the second mate went to Donner's cabin but found that it had been locked from the inside.

[16] On the evening of June 23, 1950, Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2501, carrying 55 passengers and three crew, left the LaGuardia Airport in New York City for Minneapolis.

[20] Although a preflight review of the weather revealed thunderstorms and possible squalls along the route of the flight, it was not a great concern to the crew.

[21][22] Shortly afterwards, locals between Benton Harbor and South Haven reported hearing an aircraft flying low to the ground before witnessing a flash of light over the lake.

The next day, the Coast Guard discovered an oil slick and partial debris approximately 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Benton Harbor.

In the following days, the search resulted in the discovery of human remains such as ears, hands, and bones, a seat armrest, and pieces of upholstery.

Evidence recovered suggests that the plane likely hit the water in a forward, downward, to-the-left trajectory at a high velocity.

The most commonly accepted explanation is that it was the result of bad weather conditions and the pilots' lack of visual clarity.

[23] On July 3, 1998, Donald Schaller flew a two-seat Aero L-39 Albatros, a high-performance single-engine jet often used as a military trainer by Eastern European countries.

Schaller, a veteran pilot, was planning on participating in his first air show for the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Michigan.